Santorum endorses Romney after meeting on key issues

Former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum has formally endorsed Mitt Romney for president, voicing confidence in Romney’s stance on key issues such as marriage and family.

Santorum said it's clear Romney “understands that having pro-family initiatives are not only the morally and economically right thing to do, but that the family is the basic building block of our society and must be preserved.”

The endorsement was announced on May 8, shortly after the two men, who were previously rivals vying for the Republican nomination, met to discuss the future of the GOP campaign.

Santorum had surprised political analysts with several key successes during the primary season, despite having limited funding and needing to cancel several events when his youngest daughter, Bella, was hospitalized twice during the campaign.

When he suspended his bid for president on April 10, Romney became the presumptive GOP nominee.

Santorum explained that he decided to wait on the possibility of issuing an endorsement until after having met with Romney to discuss the critical issues in the election.

This opportunity came on May 4, when he spent more than an hour in a one-on-one meeting with Romney in Pittsburgh. He described the conversation as “candid, collegial and focused on the issues,” adding that it was a “very productive” discussion.

Santorum said that a commitment to American values led to his victories in 11 states during the primary. He believes that Romney shares a commitment to those values, including life and marriage.

“The family and its foundational role in America's economic success, a central point of our campaign, was discussed at length” during the May 4 meeting, he said.

“I was impressed with the Governor's deep understanding of this connection and his commitment to economic policies that preserve and strengthen families.”

While he acknowledged that the primary campaign “made it clear that Governor Romney and I have some differences,” Santorum also emphasized their numerous areas of agreement, including a dedication to reducing taxes, spending and the size of government.

“We certainly agree that abortion is wrong and marriage should be between one man and one woman,” he added.

He also made the observation that “personnel is policy,” encouraging Romney to build a strong team of staff members and advisors who will support him as he moves forward in the campaign.

The former Pennsylvania senator explained that he intends “to keep lines of communication open” with Romney and his campaign, in order to help “ensure that the values that made America that shining city on the hill are illuminated brightly by our party and our candidates.”

He said that he and his wife, Karen, have been praying for Romney and “will continue to do so in the weeks and months ahead.”

Reflecting on the future of America, Santorum said that the nation is going through fundamental changes under the current administration.

“Freedom and personal responsibility are being replaced with big government dependency,” he explained.

The worth of each human life is under attack, he added, along with “our religious beliefs and freedom.”

These threats make it clear that “President Obama must be defeated,” Santorum said.

Voicing his support for Romney as the Republican nominee, he called for “all hands on deck” to help win “the most critical election of our lifetime.”